There are a bit of pros and cons to raw eating for dogs . If you get it incorrect there are risks to your frank ’s wellness , and even your own home if your hygiene is poor . However , get it right and not only is it as good as any gross commercial food for thought , it can be even better for your bounder ’s soundbox too . Raw feeding is not just a fad , it ’s a genuinely viable alternative to intensively produced kibble or canned food .
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How Dogs Eat Raw Meat
When we raw tip our dogs we do n’t just give them kernel as we ’d have machinate on a photographic plate . They eat almost the entire creature . So we give them bones and even some organs , as well as the flesh .
When your pup eats a lump of flesh with a bone inside it , a Gallus gallus annex for example , or part of a cony , he first bites down on the bones using the big molars at the back of his jaw . This sting action at law crushes the bonewithin the meatto make the whole parcel of food more bendy and easier to bury .
Even an eight week honest-to-god pup has a very powerful bite . My 8 week erstwhile Labrador and Spaniel puppies can vanquish the off-white in a chicken wing , in a few seconds . These are ivory as thick as your trivial fingerbreadth .
Some owners choose to bleak feed with just pre peel frozen packs of natural food , but most proprietor devise it themselves from local butchers stores , farms or ranches .
The Risks Of Raw Feeding
Every prison term a puppy crunches up a off-white this direction , he is swallowing sharp-worded sherd of broken in off-white . It is believe that naked as a jaybird bone sherd are mild and less life-threatening than cooked bone fragment , but do n’t kid yourself , therewill befragments , they will be sharp , and your puppy will eat up them .
No - one can tell you what the danger of swallowing these acuate castanets might be . And fear of these risks puts many multitude off raw eating .
It took me over a year of researching and asking questions before I charter the plunge and started to raw feed my dogs , so great was my concern over this doubt . But now permit ’s put that risk into context .
I have been flow my dogs on naked meaty off-white now for around ten years . I usually have at least four Canis familiaris , and feed them once a day , more often when they are little . That means I have course in the region of fourteen to twenty thousand ‘ boney ’ meal so far . With no adverse effects . Of of course I could just be incredibly lucky .
Then I have friends who have far more dogs than I , and who have been feed raw for far longer than me . Again , without incident , so we are talk about hundreds of thousands of bleak meals with finger cymbals in here . Without adverse effects .
Again , it could be luck . But , whilst there is belike some risk involved in a puppy swallowing os , it is look progressively probable to be quite a small one .
Impacted bone
When a cad gnaws away on a bone , peculiarly a large bone , he live with many small fragments of that bone . These fragments can collect in the gut and cause a piece of a ‘ traffic hole ’ which forbid things moving along as they should .
At best this may cause your puppy to become constipated . At worst it could block the intestine completely , lead in a aesculapian emergency . Again , this has never happened to my own dogs , but some vets worry about dogs being fed in the altogether for this understanding .
Fractured teeth
Another trouble with eating certain types of off-white is fractured teeth . This may not seem like such a enceinte deal to you . A crushed tooth is not life sentence threatening after all . But in cad , dental intervention is not a simple affair . It want a oecumenical anaesthetic which is not without risk , and putting the trouble flop will make a serious incision in your billfold .
The osseous tissue that break dogs ’ teeth tend to be weight - bearing bones of large mammalian . These are much hard than rib bone for example , and more likely to cause tooth damage . So we need to verify we do n’t bung our puppies leg bones from large herbivores such as cattle , or sheep .
Feeding Bone Safely
Bearing in mind that raw fed andiron are not take shape queue outside every local animal infirmary , it is well-defined that there must be ways of raw feeding that avoid some or all of the risk . So let ’s take a closer look
The first step in reducing the risk from bone is to feed bone and meat together . Ideally as nature intended with the pearl on the interior and the sinew on the exterior . This make a ‘ parcel ’ of ivory enfold in meat and helps it all to slither down without injury to the dog .
feed os and meat together ( rather than recreational bones on their own ) may also help to keep off the risk of impaction .
The risk of infection of impaction can be also be reduce by making sure bone is an appropriate ratio of your dog ’s diet . And by ensuring that your hotdog always has entree to plenty of fresh drinking water . A dog that has just use up a bony carcass needs to drink more than a dog that has just eaten some muscle kernel .
The risk of infection
You may have come across photograph of tiny puppies munching on sensitive volaille wings and been horrified . Are n’t raw bone keen and life-threatening and crawling in germ ? Especially poulet because we all have it away that dogs should n’t eat poulet bone , and wimp is widely get laid to be heaving in Salmonella , Campylobacter and other horrible pathogens .
Fortunately , these bug seem to have absolutely no event whatsoever on the average dog .
Of course , there is bound to be an elision to this rule , so no - one can secure your dog will not get some atrocious tummy bug from eating new chicken . But again , thousands of dogs eat peeled crybaby , every day and amount to no scathe . Not to name all the other cruddy substances that many dogs ingest on a regular footing , including the dejection of other fauna .
The fact is , dogs in general are able to cope with digesting pathogen which would make us very ill . There is however another risk from the pathogens in naked as a jaybird meat . And that hazard is to the the great unwashed that handle the detent .
The risk to your family
Obviously , you are sensible enough to take precautions when get up in the altogether meat . You do n’t require me to tell you that you should store raw meat in a consecrate container in your electric refrigerator , and cut it up with tools and on a add-in , used only for this use . wash your hands and all utensils thoroughly afterwards .
But remember that when a frankfurter has eaten raw nutrient , the fur around his mouth and on his front paws is probable to be heavily contaminated with any pathogens in his dinner party . This can be a fully grown job if you have small baby and they work with your dog .
Children are notoriously lax about hygiene . You will shin to verify they wash their hands effectively after any contact lens with a dog that has recently been uncover to raw essence . This is an of import thoughtfulness .
You also need to consider that dogs are much more likely to be genitive over sensitive food than kibble . So you will need to make very sure that tiddler do not trouble the heel when he is eating , or handle him for some time afterwards .
The challenges of training a raw fed puppy
today we train puppies with food . And small puppy have a lot to learn . This mean using a lot of food in other training . As we do n’t desire our puppies to get juicy , we expend their everyday food allowance for this determination . This is exceedingly easy to do with kibble , and much harder to do with raw intellectual nourishment . particularly raw kernel on the bone , which is an essential part of a balanced raw dieting .
All dogs need to be trained to some extent . And average to large dog take a lot of training to ensure that they are not a public nuisance . So training is not optional . Training is also a luck of fun if done properly , so you do n’t require to miss out on this .
The benefits of raw feeding for dogs
You will hear all sort of claims for health benefits in raw fed dogs . Here are a few of those ‘ claim ’
The problem is , there is little grounds for most of these claims . No schematic studies have been carry out compare the teeth , coating , peel and behavior for lesson of raw fed and kibble fed dogs . So how do we sieve the facts from the myths ?
No more smelly poop
The first and least disputable advantage of switch to bare-ass food is not to your click at all . It is to you . It ’s about what come out of your weenie , not what goes in .
The poop produced by naked fed weenie is far less smelly and much smaller in quantity that the poop produced by kibble fed dogs . Which lets face it , smells appalling .
tender fed click quarter is largely powdered bone , and smells of very little . This is of no interest to your dog , but a source of great pleasure to raw fed heel owner .
Reducing the risk of bloat
Bloat is a potentially fateful experimental condition where the dog ’s stomach becomes grossly dilate . If the venter rotates , the blood supply to it may be geld off and quick veterinary intervention will be required to save the dog ’s life .
One study , show that hound were more likely to hurt from bloat if they were prey on certain types of kibble . Another study ( source ) showed that dogs fed on dry intellectual nourishment alone , were more likely to get bloat than dogs fed on slopped food .
luckily most dogs are not particularly susceptible to bloat , but if you have a dog that is at endangerment such as a large , deep - chested dog , or a hound that has a close congenator that digest from bloat , then it might be deserving taking this into thoughtfulness when choosing how to give your bounder .
Keeping anal glands healthy
This is a adorable topic – but maybe not one to read over the breakfast board ! If you have ever seen a hound ‘ scooting ’ ( dragging his bottom along the floor ) you ’ve probably see a dog with anal retentive gland issues .
Canine anal retentive glands are located either side of the anus and are squeezed empty each clip a dog discharge his bowels . Or they should be .
If the dog ’s bowel movements are oft easy , these glands may not be emptied effectively and they can become inflame or block and make the dog temper or discomfort . Scooting is one symptom of this
With a bleak fed andiron , this tends not to happen . There is a good cause for this . His gut movement are usually firm and the anal glands get empty each prison term he empties them . This keeps them in good wellness , without the intervention of a human handwriting .
Of course , not all kibble fed dog get anal gland problems , and somewhere there is probably a raw fed dog that does have them . But it is clear that take for good anal gland health for new fed dogs do seem to be well founded .
Feeding Raw Cleans Teeth
Perhaps the most frequently cover essence of tender feeding is improvement in dental wellness . My initial reason for switching to bare-ass included concerns about my bounder ’s tooth .
Even my untried detent had teeth that were becoming heavily discolored on their kibble diets , and I had heard some slap-up reports about the benefits of a bleak diet on dogs ’ dental health . sure as shooting enough , within a few weeks on raw , my dog were all flashing a great set of sparkling lily-white teeth .
How bones clean teeth
ex-serviceman claim that a very high percentage of dogs now abide from dental problem and gum disease .
And of course scale up tooth are not only a bad deal to put right ( under general anesthetic ) , the intervention has to be repeated on a unconstipated basis ( at least once a year )
The ground that the raw dieting keeps teeth and gums hefty , is two - fold , firstly the dieting is free from carbohydrates and second the broken sherd of pearl in the dog ’s solid food have an scratchy action on the dog ’s teeth , strip off the gunk and leaving them squeamish and clean .
There is an alternative of course , you could learn your dog to allow you clean his tooth morning and evening , just as you do your shaver .
The difference is that you ’ll have to do it for him for the rest of his life , and if you have more than one dog , this could be quite sentence consuming . The fact is , most people just do n’t get to .
Raw Feeding To Resolve Weight Issues
It is quite difficult to overfeed a dog on bare-ass food for thought . Dogs tend not to overeat on raw and without the sugars in their diet , seem less disposed to put on free weight .
This is actually a bigger incentive than it might seem at first glance , because corpulency is a huge job for hot dog at the current meter , and because corpulency is associated with a whole range of other wellness problem .
While it is true that your kibble fed dog need not be fleshy , the pitiful fact is , many , if not most , are .
The joy of eating
There is no doubt at all that dogs adore crude meat and os . A bowlful of kibble take less than three bit for the average dog to consume .
He then has until his next mealtime to dream about solid food .
A chunk of meaty ribcage , a rabbit , or a wimp back will last a frump up to ten times longer and allow for huge amounts of blissful use .
This joy is difficult to measure or balance against other factor , but there is no doubt that it exist .
Allergies
The grounds for raw feeding as a resolution for allergies is anecdotal . That is to say , no studies have been done that musical accompaniment the claims people make for changes in their dogs ’ skin consideration as a result of switching to raw .
That being said , most kibbles contain metric grain of some kind , often in the form of pale yellow , maize or Elmer Leopold Rice . They often also contain artificial flavourings or colorings . It is not out of the question therefore that your dog could be allergic to one or more of the constituents of his dry food .
The great carbohydrate debate
We should credibly mention carbohydrate again at this stage because the key conflict between dry nutrient and in the buff ( apart from the pee message ) is that kibble is carbohydrate based .
One of the reason that I palpate more comfortable feeding my blackguard on a raw diet is that I am concerned about the long term effects of feeding enceinte quantities of carbohydrates to an fauna that is primarily reconstruct to unconscious process and digest carcass .
Concerns about grain
It is true that modern dog have evolved some ability to digest texture to some degree , as have we humans .
But we are only recently notice the impact of massive grain consumption on the human population , and it is n’t look just . I am not convinced it is good for dogs either .
Grain is a relatively recent entry into the diet of both man and dogs . A change that has occurred only since the dawn of agriculture .
And we , and our dogs are still in monomania of the digestive systems that stand us in near stead when we were social predators , eating meat , leaves , roots and berries .
Not everyone agrees of course , that sugar in large quantities are bad . Either for dogs or humans . But skill is certainly changing its opinion on the virtues of living on a starch based diet .
This is something I see as even less appropriate for hot dog than it is for you and me .
The Pros and Cons of Raw Feeding for Dogs
The benefit of fertilize raw are probable to include great dental health ( and impertinent breath ) This may be more authoritative than it at first seems . There is grounds that poor dental health impacts on our torso ’s immune system and general health , and there is no understanding to theorise that this does not also apply to dogs . Some people report improvements in allergies ( pelt term and tummy bother ) in hound after switching to raw , though this is not yet try out Cleaning up after your dog will be more pleasant when he is unsanded fed , and your dog will enjoy his mealtimes a whole plenty more than he did before .
The disadvantages of rude eating are that there may be some risks . The hazard of internal injury or impingement from bone , and the hazard of infection , both to your pawl and your family . The peril may be smaller than once cogitate but we have no way of know for trusted . This is an particularly important consideration where tiddler are involved .
Balanced against these hazard are the jeopardy of bloat , in kibble fed dogs ( plausibly only relevant if you have a susceptible dog ) and the , as yet unproven , concerns that I and others partake about feed a set of sugar to firedog .
